Stars in your Eyes
What’s the story behind the stars we often see on Carnival Glass patterns? What’s the difference between a whirling star and a hobstar? What’s a pinwheel? And what about those Many Stars of Millersburg fame … how do they fit in? Let’s start with the back story. The Cut Glass Legacy Cut glass, extravagant and glittering, was very fashionable in the 1800s. Whole suites of sparkling glassware adorned the wealthy households. Between 1851 and 1860, Stevens & Williams (Stourbridge, England) recorded over a thousand cut glass designs in their pattern books! Then, in 1876, at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition, Brilliant Cut Glass was introduced to America. It was thicker, more reflective and more scintillating than the previous cut glass. The intricate geometric designs sparkled like diamonds. But of course, it needed much skilled craftsmanship and many hours of labour, making it expensive. Subsequently the expensive cut glass was imitated in the form of press moulded designs, which not only cut costs but also enabled greater quantities to be made available for the buying public. These intaglio, press moulded patterns became known as “near-cut.” Though initially utilized in the production of clear, crystal glass, the “near-cut” designs were also later used for Carnival Glass production as the geometric surfaces of the glass adapted very well to iridescence. |
Stars from Finland’s Karhula glassworks: Spinning Starlet (left)
and Starlight. This article explains the kinds of stars they feature. |
The Stars of the Show
For a moment, forget the names that have been given to Carnival Glass patterns, and focus on the design and style of the star motif itself.
There are three main star motifs, that imitate (and are derived from) cut glass which are featured on Carnival Glass: they are simple stars, hobstars and whirling stars.
There are also lots of other stars that are more freely designed and portrayed but they don’t specifically imitate cut glass design (examples are those seen on Millersburg’s Little Stars and Many Stars/Bernheimer Brothers patterns).
Simple Star
The simple star imitates cut glass and is often found on the underside of the base (marie) of many Carnival pieces. Essentially it is a multi-rayed, radiating star, coming from a central point, that may also be interpreted as the petals of a flower.
The simple star imitates cut glass and is often found on the underside of the base (marie) of many Carnival pieces. Essentially it is a multi-rayed, radiating star, coming from a central point, that may also be interpreted as the petals of a flower.
Hobstar
This is where the stars start to get interesting. Essentially a hobstar has overlapping points (which can sometimes look like overlapping triangles) around a central section. It can have just a few points, or very many (sometimes up to 60). Hobstars can also be very simple, or they can have extra details in the star points and in the centre.
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Imperial’s Hobstar pattern exemplifies the motif.
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Hobstars can be very simple but can also be much more complex – the range is enormous which is possibly why they can be confusing. Hobstars can also have curved edges, as on Brockwitz Curved Star pattern, or be wildly asymmetrical, with one side being extended while the other is foreshortened. Hobstars can also be found on the base of some pieces, such as the Tennessee Star vase above.
Hobstars of various kinds can be seen on the blue Curved Star sugar (comport) from Brockwitz, shown below. The central star is a hobstar which has been made shorter at the bottom and extended at the top. Note the curving sides. Smaller, simpler hobstars can be seen surrounding the larger curved hobstar.
A Curved Star sugar / comport made by Brockwitz
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The hobstar design was not called by that name when it was first used, in fact it seems to have often been called a “rosette”. But this 1902 patent application by Edward Koch (see below) is notable in that it was the first recorded use of the description or term, hobstar, despite that fact that the motif itself had been in use for many years previously. |
* Note: strictly speaking, a hobstar minus its central section (i.e. the “hob”) is known as a Brunswick Star.
Whirling Star
A whirling star by any other name ... is still a whirling star! Buzz star, buzz saw or spinning star are other names that have been given to what is, in fact, a whirling star. And then it gets tricky … because this kind of star was originally called a pinwheel. The whirling star design was first produced as a cut motif around 1899 (the original design is credited to Patrick H. Healy, who assigned his pattern to the American Cut Glass Company of Chicago, who were outsourced from Libbey). The original version was a 12-point swirling star with fan motifs following the direction of the star points.
A whirling star by any other name ... is still a whirling star! Buzz star, buzz saw or spinning star are other names that have been given to what is, in fact, a whirling star. And then it gets tricky … because this kind of star was originally called a pinwheel. The whirling star design was first produced as a cut motif around 1899 (the original design is credited to Patrick H. Healy, who assigned his pattern to the American Cut Glass Company of Chicago, who were outsourced from Libbey). The original version was a 12-point swirling star with fan motifs following the direction of the star points.
Flanked by hobstars, this magnificent cut glass whirling star on an “Angelus” bowl was featured in a Clark catalogue from 1903 (courtesy American Cut Glass Research Assn).
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It’s interesting to note the 1903 price of the Angelus item shown above, right - it was US $72 or $100 depending on the size! As an aside, this alone amply makes the point that Carnival Glass was a low cost competitor for the very expensive cut glass. In 1908 there was the first known ad for Carnival Glass (made by Fenton), the wholesale price was 85 cents - per dozen!
So, what exactly is a "Pinwheel"?
This is where things get simultaneously more difficult and (strangely) also much easier. The difficult part is that "pinwheel" is actually another name for a whirling star motif. It gets trickier when you add in the fact that there is actually a Carnival pattern that is called Pinwheel, but contrary to expectations, the pattern does NOT feature a whirling star design. The simple truth is, the Carnival pattern that’s called Pinwheel actually features a large hobstar with simple stars above and below. It was Marion Hartung that called the pattern Pinwheel, and of course, it’s stuck now.
This is where things get simultaneously more difficult and (strangely) also much easier. The difficult part is that "pinwheel" is actually another name for a whirling star motif. It gets trickier when you add in the fact that there is actually a Carnival pattern that is called Pinwheel, but contrary to expectations, the pattern does NOT feature a whirling star design. The simple truth is, the Carnival pattern that’s called Pinwheel actually features a large hobstar with simple stars above and below. It was Marion Hartung that called the pattern Pinwheel, and of course, it’s stuck now.
An added complication is that there are three very similar patterns that look like the pattern called Pinwheel, made by three different European makers, Inwald (Czechoslovakia), Sowerby (England) and Hortensja (Poland). But the makers of the pattern called it something else entirely. Two of the makers that made this design originally gave the patterns different names – Inwald called it Piccadilly and Sowerby called it Derby. Above: three look-alike vases that have all been called Pinwheel.
Made by, left to right, Sowerby (aka Derby), Inwald (aka Piccadilly), and Hortensja. |
An amethyst Pinwheel (aka Derby) vase made by Sowerby.
It is 6.5 inches high. The pattern is made up of a central hobstar with simple stars above and below. |
Freehand Stars
Freehand stars are not linked in any way to the stars that imitate cut glass patterns. These are simply star motifs, designed without the use of any mathematical instruments. They can even appear like frosting (icing) decorations, raised up off the surface of the glass. Millersburg is renowned for some beautiful patterns featuring stars, such as Little Stars, Night Stars as well as the Many Stars and Bernheimer Brothers designs.
Freehand stars are not linked in any way to the stars that imitate cut glass patterns. These are simply star motifs, designed without the use of any mathematical instruments. They can even appear like frosting (icing) decorations, raised up off the surface of the glass. Millersburg is renowned for some beautiful patterns featuring stars, such as Little Stars, Night Stars as well as the Many Stars and Bernheimer Brothers designs.
The use of the Star of David motif on Carnival Glass is interesting. This wasn’t imitating cut glass designs, but instead was linked to the Masonic organisation, as we explain in our feature article ‘Masonic Manoeuvres and Suchlike - The Story Behind The Glass’.
What type of Stars are these?
Why not test yourself with this little Quiz? The answers are at the bottom of the page.
Why not test yourself with this little Quiz? The answers are at the bottom of the page.
Answers:
Top Row (left to right): Charlotte by Brockwitz is a HOBSTAR; Crabclaw by Imperial is a HOBSTAR; Constellation by Dugan is a SIMPLE STAR.
Middle Row (left to right): Diamond Lace by Imperial features HOBSTARS; Tennessee Star by Riihimaki has a HOBSTAR and a SIMPLE STAR; the base of Sowerby’s Lindisfarne has a HOBSTAR in the centre
Bottom Row (left to right): Starburst & Crown by Karhula features WHIRLING STARS; Gardestern tumbler by Brockwitz features a HOBSTAR surrounded by fans; Industria Argentina Star by Cristalerias Papini is a SIMPLE STAR.
Top Row (left to right): Charlotte by Brockwitz is a HOBSTAR; Crabclaw by Imperial is a HOBSTAR; Constellation by Dugan is a SIMPLE STAR.
Middle Row (left to right): Diamond Lace by Imperial features HOBSTARS; Tennessee Star by Riihimaki has a HOBSTAR and a SIMPLE STAR; the base of Sowerby’s Lindisfarne has a HOBSTAR in the centre
Bottom Row (left to right): Starburst & Crown by Karhula features WHIRLING STARS; Gardestern tumbler by Brockwitz features a HOBSTAR surrounded by fans; Industria Argentina Star by Cristalerias Papini is a SIMPLE STAR.
Thanks to Teena Bronzino for inspiring our research into the star patterns.
Reference: The Collectors' Guide to Cut and Engraved Glass, 1771-1905, by Dorothy Daniel, 1950.
Reference: The Collectors' Guide to Cut and Engraved Glass, 1771-1905, by Dorothy Daniel, 1950.